This invention relates to an electrical connector assembly for mounting on printed circuit boards having different thicknesses from each other.
In computers having a high density of integrated circuits, it is frequently desirable to mount electrical connectors to both sides of a single printed circuit board. In order to increase the densities further, it is beneficial if the same relative location on each side of the printed circuit board can be used for the mounting and retaining of electrical components, including connector assemblies and items which extend through the circuit board. Being able to use the maximum surface area on both sides of the circuit board provides significant improvements in the density and overall utilization of space on the printed circuit board.
Unfortunately, some types of connectors are cut through apertures that extend completely through the printed circuit board. For such electrical circuits, and connectors it may be very difficult to position another component, integrated circuit, or connector on the other side of the circuit board at the same relative location. Thus, the density with which components can be mounted on a printed circuit board is limited.
According to principles of the present invention, an electrical connector is provided which is coupled to a printed circuit board using an aperture which extends completely through the printed circuit board. The connector assembly is designed so that other components may also be mounted in the same aperture and be securely retained in the proper position. In one embodiment, the other component which may be mounted in an aperture is an identical connector assembly. Alternatively, other components, such as integrated chips, other types of connectors, or other components may also be designed to be aligned and connected to the same aperture as the connector assembly and being mounted on the other side of the printed circuit board.
A further advantage according to one embodiment of the present invention is that the electrical connector assembly is designed to be mounted to printed circuit boards having different thicknesses with respect to each other and still be properly aligned and firmly positioned.